The Storm
by uscfbfan
Summary: Edward Cullen is a paramedic running from his past. Bella Swan is a single mother just trying to do her best for her son Ethan. Loosely based on The Rescue. Rated M for a reason. AH/AU
1. Chapter One Rewritten

The Storm:

**AN: Completely rewritten right now, only because I didn't like where I was going with this story. Bear with me now.**

**Chapter One:**

The winter of 2009 would be considered one of the worst winters ever in North Carolina history. It was one of the coldest to date, bringing the frigid, cold, Arctic air from Canada more days than the residents would care to remember. People had been talking about global warming for some time, however global warming seemed to be the last thing on everyone's mind for the moment. The winter storm hit fast, and with seemingly no warning. That morning, the storm was still predicted to fizzle out over the Appalachian Mountains, an area that could deal with the massive snowfall; however, the forecasters were dead wrong. By late afternoon, the roads were icy death traps, causing mass chaos throughout the entire state. Roofs were in danger of collapsing because of the heavy snow, power lines were strewn across highways and secondary roadways. Young trees limbs were snapping underneath the weight of the ice and snow, creating an obstacle course for anyone daring to venture out in the weather.

News forecasters were begging for people to stay in door and to stay put. Unfortunately, there were some people who had already ventured out. They didn't hear the warnings, which cropped up quickly, or they just couldn't stop what they were doing because the sky was going to open up around them. One of those people was Bella Swan. She had to venture out to retrieve her child from daycare. She didn't have the luxury of calling in sick, like so many others had done. So, now in the midst of the heavy falling snow, she clutched her steering wheel tighter, praying that God would deliver them home safely.

It seemed that God heard her prayers. The snow had lightened up, so she pushed down a little harder on the gas pedal hoping to gain some headway in the traffic. She was able to go another twenty minutes when she heard the all too familiar beep of her fuel light coming on.

"Shit! Not now," Bella mumbled as she looked up into the sky. It was getting increasingly darker and she immediately knew what that meant - the worst wasn't over yet.

She glanced in the backseat, looking at her three-year old son. Ethan was soundly sleeping in his booster seat. Bella vividly remembered the day that she had transitioned him out of his car seat into the booster. Tears had formed in her eyes. Her best friend, Jake, had told her that she was being over-reacting, but her baby was growing up so fast.

_Well for the most part._ Bella thought angrily.

She stared over at the report that sat haphazardly in the front seat. Recalling what the doctor had written up for her.

_The child is male, 3 years 4 months in age with no obvious deficits._

_Mother reports a normal pregnancy and birth. Prenatal care was normal._

_No issues with gross motor movement. Child is able to grasp writing utensils._

_Child demonstrates an expressive language delay marked by decreased vocabulary._

_Expressive language is judged at approximately 18 months._

_Receptively the child seems to be normal._

It read like every other single report that Bella had ever received. Only this time, the doctor agreed with her that Ethan didn't have autism or Asperger's, which is what all the other doctors believed. At least, this time, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Bella had seen a lot in her 25 years of living. Hell, she had been through a lot herself. Bella, by trade, was a physical therapist. Something that her father could brag about. She had done well for herself. She earned good grades in high school, enough to secure herself into the pre-therapy program with a scholarship at Appalachian State University.

Her grades at the university was more than stellar, and her scores for graduate school admission were enough to secure her a partial scholarship and a graduate assistantship to help pay for the rest of her expenses. Bella had been in her last year of graduate studies in Physical Therapy when she reconnected with Mike.

Michael Newton had gone to the same high school as Bella, though he was two years ahead of her. He was star of their football team and had gained a scholarship to Michigan State to play football for them. Bella didn't personally keep up with his life story, however most of the town chattered back and forth about how one of their own got drafted for the NFL. It was all her father could talk about for a month at the dinner table. All she remembered about him was that he was a spoiled bully who always had a different cheerleader on his arm. He never gave her a second look whenever she passed him in the hallways.

Years later, she crossed paths with him again. He was a patient of hers. Apparently he had hurt himself during spring training and was in need of some physical therapy to get back some motion in his knee. He didn't recognize her, but she immediately recognized him. He still had the same arrogant "I'm the shit," look on his face. He hit on her throughout the first session, and because of this, she pushed him harder than she normally would anyone else.

Mike was an unrelenting flirt and he kept asking her out on dates, which she always politely declined, telling him that it just wasn't proper for her to date any patients under her care.

"_Hey Bella?"_

_Bella turned from Mike and looked at Jake. "Yeah."_

"_Leah, Angela, and I are going out tonight to Salem Brewery. Are you in?"_

"_I don't know Jake, I need to study for the boards."_

"_Bells, you got this, you know you do. You need to loosen up a bit and come with us."_

_She had known Jacob as long as she could remember. He was a couple years younger, completing his observation rotation whereas she was finishing her round of clinical. In two months, she had to sit for her board exams so she could earn her doctorate in physical therapy. She knew she needed to study, but Jake was right, she needed to loosen up a bit._

_That night Bella met them at the brewery, but much to her surprise Mike was there with some of his football buddies. She was seething, knowing that he had overheard their conversation and still decided to encroach himself in._

_She confronted him, and Mike apologized, stating that him and his friends had already made the plans before Bella and her friends. It seemed plausible, so Bella apologized to him before heading back to her friends._

_True to his word, Mike had stayed away, but toward the end of the night brought her a beer as a peace offering. She accepted it, and even thanked him for it. She soon called it a night and allowed Mike to escort her out to the curb for a cab._

_The next morning, she found herself awake, alone, and naked in Michael Newton's apartment. Her head was spinning, and all she could think was to get out of there. She quickly threw on her clothes and called for a cab._

_She had been relieved when he had been discharged from her care and was no longer in need of physical therapy._

_A month later, she found out she was pregnant._

The sound of the gas light broke her out of her reverie, causing her to curse silently, as Ethan had woken up. He stared up at her with bright blue eyes, causing Bella to smile a bit.

She looked at the rearview mirror, watching him play with his toy truck. She slowed with the rest of the traffic, having enough time to turn around and look at him. She made a funny face at him, causing him to giggle. He looked back at her with his messy mahogany, spiked hair and smiled. His blue eyes connected with her eyes, almost as if he was trying to tell her something without using his words. Ethan was an insightful child like that.

He was nothing at all like his father. Bella shuddered a bit, pulling her scarf around her neck more. Mike, Ethan's father, _no sperm donor was more like it_, was not a topic that Bella liked to think about. She hadn't thought about him in ages, not since she told her father about Mike. And apparently Mike had been running around that North Carolina town spreading rumors and lies about her. So she stayed for the summer and then left with nothing but her credit card and old beat up Chevy Nova. Bella had left out of survival instincts, leaving everything she knew and loved behind.

She talked to her father, Charlie, every chance she had. She had to watch the minutes on her prepaid cell phone though. She didn't want to run out to early, otherwise she would have no way of receiving calls from Ethan's doctors and what not.

"Ethan, are you hungry?"

Ethan nodded silently, reaching over into his bag to play with a toy that Bella had packed for him. She was the mother that was always prepared. If she had been born a boy, she probably would have been a boy scout.

Bella felt her own stomach screaming out in silent protest, so she scanned the highway looking for an exit that had both a gas station and a McDonalds. Ethan was a good eater for the most part, but lately all he seemed to want was McDonalds and since she wasn't in the mood for one of his fits, that is what they were going to have.

Spying the golden arches ahead and the neon lights for a BP, she quickly put on her blinkers and merged over to the exit ramp. She quickly went through the drive through ordering Ethan his chicken nuggets that he loved so much, Bella ordered herself a meal as well since it had been ages since she had eaten.

"Eat slow Ethan. Mommy doesn't want you to choke," she told him as she handed him his kid's meal. She threw her meal on the seat, opting to get her gas first.

Bella pumped her gas quickly, watching the numbers on the dials turn. She calculated the days until her next payday, hoping that there was enough money in the bank to cover her for the next couple of days. She considered herself the queen of stretching a dollar. This had been the first time in a long time that she even had treated herself to something as simple as a double cheeseburger and a diet Coke from McDonalds.

She stared back up at the sky, wondering idly if she should go home. Charlie had wanted her to return ages ago, and maybe having a male figure in Ethan's life would help him out. But, then again, she didn't know if she could return. Small town talk could be lethal to her.

Bella quickly topped off her tank setting off for home again. She picked up her Saint Christopher's medal and quickly made her way back on to the interstate. She turned on the radio, hoping to find some music that Ethan would listen too, however most of the stations were inundated with news of the weather. Bella mused that it must be a good sign when the only thing to worry about was the weather, at least it wasn't about murders or anything of that sort.

She turned off the radio, staring straight ahead at the falling snow. She saw the medical report sitting on the front seat, remembering what the doctor had told her. _Remember to make each moment a communication moment_. The doctor had been kind, and told her that Ethan would eventually catch up to his peers, but that because it was considered developmental, that Ethan would not qualify for state funded services.

That was a crock of shit in Bella's mind.

She had spent countless hours on the phone with different agencies trying to get Ethan the help that he deserved. She paid into the Medicaid system, he deserved something out of it!

Each phone call yielded with the same answer, "I wish we could help, but . . ."

Bella grabbed a sip of her drink and sat it back down in her cup holder quickly. "Ethan, baby, do you see the snow?"

Ethan stared out the window silently and nodded, indicating that he had at least heard her. Bella groaned in frustration, wishing that he would just say something.

"Montee?"

"Mommy," Bella corrected automatically. Montee was what Ethan would call her. It had taken her three months to get him to even address her as anything. There was a lot of kicking and crying on Ethan's part, but Bella knew that he could do it. Three months of her sitting on her hands and repeating "Mommy" over and over again, finally gave way to Ethan's first word at 18 months old, "Montee." It wasn't much, but to Bella, it was the world.

"Montee - no!"

"That's right, snow!" Bella was delighted, it seemed like something had clicked with Ethan for a moment, so she grabbed on to it. "That's right it's snowing."

"Noing," Ethan repeated while continuing to stare out the window.

"Did you eat all your food?" Bella encouraged him to continue talking. It was rare that Ethan ever initiated a conversation, so Bella just wanted him to keep talking.

Bella waited, staring at him through the rearview mirror. Ethan nodded, turning his head to stare out the window again. Bella sighed. It wasn't much, but at least it was something.

She praised him before turning back on the radio listening to the forecast. She looked down at the clock, she only had twenty more minutes until she was out of the thick of it and back into the safety of her home.

----------

Bella cursed silently, praying that they would make it the last ten-mile stretch to their home. She glanced in her rearview, seeing that Ethan had dozed off, and she was envious of him. All she wanted was some sleep herself - but that would have to wait. The storm had gotten worse, as Bella predicted. The snow was now coming down in buckets, making the roads nearly impassable.

Bella clutched her steering wheel tighter, to the point where she was cutting of the circulation to her muscles. She should have cancelled her patients and not gone into work. The old saying was true: hindsight was twenty-twenty. She took another sip of her diet Coke, hoping that the caffeine would help.

Then her worst fear occurred. She felt the tires start slipping, and reacting on gut, she did the worst possible thing: she slammed on her brakes. The small Toyota Corolla groaned in protest, refusing to react to Bella trying to turn the wheel. She went into a dead spin. Bella closed her eyes, letting go of the wheel. Her life flashed before her eyes. She thought her father, her best friend Angela, dancing with Jake in her too small living room, and, of course, she thought of Ethan. _Oh God, Ethan!_

That was her last thought before the sound of screeching tires and metal crunching came to an abrupt end and she welcomed the blackness.

-----------

The sound of the weather forecast, combined with the sound of something popping brought Isabella Swan to her senses. She could tell that she was upside down; all the blood had rushed to her head. She brought her hand up to her head. Blood coated her hand, causing her to become nauseated. The sight and smell of blood always bothered her. Not now, please God, not now!

_What happened?_ Bella closed her eyes for a brief second, remembering the battle with the black ice. Of course, she lost.

"Ethan?"

Bella waited, hoping that he would respond.

"Ethan, answer Mommy, please. Now is not the time to be quiet!"

Bella panicked. _What if this time it was because he couldn't answer? Oh God!_

Bella tried to turn, but she couldn't. Her body was twisted at a weird angle, making it almost impossible for her to see Ethan in the backseat. She heard the pop of the electrical wire again and knew that they were in deep trouble.

Bella cringed. They were on one of the back roads of North Carolina. Not many people travelled on this old route, only hunters and people that lived in the old farmhouses. It was actually a very beautiful area, even though it was worn down. The area had a stream that kept the area nice and fertile. There were many summer days were she and Ethan would dip their toes in the stream in an effort to keep cool in the sweltering heat. Their old farmhouse didn't have central heating or air.

What she wouldn't give right now to be holding Ethan next to the fireplace, and reading him a book. Ethan loved reading books. She should have called in.

All the coulda, shoulda, wouldas, couldn't change the predicament that they were in.

"Ethan, answer Mommy!" Bella pleaded again. _Just say something, make some noise. Anything Ethan, please!_

And she was met with silence.

This couldn't be happening. Bella struggled, trying to turn to the backseat again, but a horrible pain ripped through her body causing her to cry out. She knew that she was hurt, and bad.

_What if Ethan was hurt?_

Bella was getting light headed again and knew that she had to do something. She tried to push herself up, against her seat to release the seatbelt, but that didn't work. All that happened was that she gained a couple of cuts from the broken glass on the palm of her hand.

The smell of blood assaulted her senses before she blacked out again.

**AN: I hope you guys are still with me on this one. Shame on me - bad writer - waiting a year to update this story - and when I updated I totally rewritten. Anyway, truth be told, I bought a house, got married, and just got caught up with reading rather than writing. So just stay with me now on it, I promise to do better.**


	2. Chapter 2 Rewritten

_**AN: Complete rewritten - Enjoy.**_

_**Chapter Two:**_

One year had passed since Edward Cullen had returned to the small town of Piedmont, NC. Edward turned and looked up at the sky, noticing the menacing clouds off the horizon, mentally cursing himself for not paying closer attention to the weather system. He knew, just knew, that he would most likely be called into work today. Edward had already made plans for most of the night, which consisted of getting drunk and watching television, wallowing in his own misery. _It didn't seem like that was going to be very likely now._ He shook the thought out of his head, making his way through Rocky Cliffs Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Piedmont, _hell, it probably dated back to Civil war times._

Edward knew exactly where he was going, even though he had only been to the site once. He had a great sense of direction. He cut through the lawn, making sure to avoid stepping on anyone's resting site. He wasn't superstitious or anything like that, his mother just raised him well. Esme Cullen would never approve of any one of her children acting disrespectful of the dead.

He waived deftly around the memorials, some that were ancient, dating back to Civil War times. He laughed internally at his observation that he had made earlier in the trek. The last time Edward had visited the site, he had been so hopped up on pain killers that he didn't know whether or not if he was coming or going, let alone been lucid enough to take in the surroundings. The doctors had fought him on leaving the hospital so early, but he had too. It was the least he could do.

He had been putting off this reunion for a year, but it was time. Unfortunately, it was time.

Edward felt his footsteps start to falter as he approached the site. Here, on the east side of the cemetery, was the memorial site that he had come to see. He saw the grand statues before he came upon it. He hadn't seen it when the town had erected it, but it was in the paper. Two soldiers were standing side by side, saluting an American flag; their gazes faced the setting sun. Around the statues laid 12 memorial markers. _It should have been eleven though._ _Hell, those soldiers shouldn't be six feet under anyway!_

Edward felt a surge of anger pass through his body before he quickly let it go. They were soldiers; _they all were._ He knew exactly what he was doing when he walked into the recruiter's office that fateful day. He saw the look of pride cross his brother and father's faces, while simultaneously, his mother and sister's faces bore the look of fear. It was a well-deserved look. He knew now that he was naïve in some respects.

Edward made his way through the memorial, remembering each one of his fallen comrades. It wasn't supposed to be their time, but fate had other plans for them. He stopped at one particular marker the longest. The grass had grown tall around the base, and the weeds had started cropping up around it. Disgusted, Edward side-stepped around the grave, pulling the weeds up with his bare hands. He laid 25 roses down in front of the smooth granite, staring at the etching.

_Rachel Joy Farthing_

_Best Friend and Loyal Soldier_

_January 2, 1983-January 2, 2008_

"Happy Birthday Rach." Edward spoke softly, tightening his coat around his shoulders. "I remember not too long ago, you were complaining about the snow in the damn Afghan Mountains, now it seems like it is going to snow here, back at home. I got you home, just like you asked. I just wanted you to know that I still remember you, and that you are missed, no matter what you thought."

Rachel had been a foster child when she was younger and always swore that people wouldn't miss her when she was gone - if only she knew how wrong she was. Edward and Rachel met during one of her stays with her grandmother, who seemingly just couldn't deal with a teenager. Rachel stuck it out with her grandmother though, eventually enlisting in the Army National Guard right after graduation from high school.

Edward closed his eyes, waiting for the images to come. They always came when he closed his eyes and needed a moment of peace. He was used to it by now. In his mind, he could still see Rachel. She was all geared-up in her desert camo and her helmet, which always hid her long dark hair, sometimes cussing at the crew in Farsi, or sometimes singing silently. In his mind she never aged, she stayed 25 forever, even though Edward just celebrated her 26th birthday.

He couldn't believe a year had passed.

Edward sighed, running his hands through his hair. He could almost hear Rachel scolding him in his mind. He spent the first month recuperating for the injuries he had sustained half a world away. Then for the next couple of months, the warmth of the spring months had allowed Edward to take on odd jobs to make ends meet. Nothing glamorous, some painting and easy plumbing jobs that women's husbands were too busy to do on their own. It wasn't the best living, but he eked by. Edward knew though that his parents' didn't understand why he wasn't returning to medicine. It had always been his dream, and he pursued it relentlessly in school. Hell, he even finished the top of his class at Dartmouth, but he felt that the passion died. It died January 2, 2008 in Afghanistan.

The whole day just didn't feel right. The mission didn't seem right. Everything screamed abort, but being the good soldiers that they were trained to be, they forged on. 20 men were up on that mountain, 12 died, 8 came back irrevocably changed.

Edward was one of them.

He has spent the winter of his return as a total recluse, only leaving his mother and father's house when he went to therapy. Edward realized though that he couldn't live with them forever, hiding out. He needed to face the world sooner or later. He found himself a house, using part of his trust fund that his grandfather had left to him. It didn't even make a dent in it really, and Edward was able to spend most of the winter renovating it. It was the best therapy for him. It seemed to help him out tremendously, physically and emotionally.

Soon the spring had given away to summer and Edward had decided to pull himself together, somewhat, and enrolled in a night class to get his certifications in becoming a paramedic. With his medical background, all he needed was a refresher course (something not normally done), but the town was in desperate need of his services after another tragedy on the lake claimed the lives of three emergency personal.

His older brother Emmett was a police officer and had always inspired Edward. Emmett could have played pro-football if his knee hadn't blown out his senior year at Michigan State. Sure, his brother could have moped, instead Emmett decided to put his criminal justice degree to work and worked for the SBI - but would help out at the county level if need be.

Edward had thought about following in his brother's footsteps, however he couldn't in good conscience allow for all that medical knowledge go to waste, so instead he became a paramedic. It wasn't something he was really passionate about, but he was good at his job, and that was all that mattered.

Carlisle hoped that Edward would soon return to the hospital, he had been hinting at an open position that was coming available in nine months. One of his ER doctors was going to be moving, and Carlisle was giving Edward plenty of time to prepare. His father never really voiced his opinions about his youngest child's decision, he just stood by supporting his son no matter what. Carlisle knew that Edward would eventually find his way. His father was the type of man, father, husband that he aspired to be. Carlisle laughed quietly at inappropriate jokes, loved furiously, and was passionate about his job, wife, and kids.

_If he ever became a father, he wanted to be just like Carlisle._

Children, wow, that was something that Edward hadn't thought about in a really long time. Of course, his mother always hinted at the fact she wanted grandchildren, however had almost given up hope. Her three children, Emmett, Edward, and Alice were all still single much to Esme's dismay. That didn't stop her badgering. Every now and again, she would set up "parties" for the neighborhood. However, Edward, Emmet, and Alice knew better. It was like speed dating for all the single men and women in the town, just in disguise.

Edward knew though that his mother was going to have to work on his siblings for grandkids. It just wasn't in the cards for him. He thought back to the last time he had a real date and realized that it was before he deployed to Afghanistan. Nothing really came of that date. Sure, he had dated women - or girls. He had a steady girlfriend all throughout high school. He would never forget her. Her name was Ingrid, she was a daughter of a foreign diplomat. She returned to Sweden not long after graduation. Then there was a string of girls during his freshmen year of college, he couldn't remember all of their names. They probably weren't worth remembering anyway. Then in his senior year of undergrad studies, he met Victoria. He thought she was the one. He had seen forever with her, had went out and bought her an engagement ring. He thought he was going to marry her, until he walked in one day and saw her screwing his roommate on their college issued sofa.

He later found out that James gave her and STD. Edward had gotten tested soon afterward and thankful had come up clean. It was a hard lesson learned though - no glove, no love, even to this day.

There weren't many other women in his life other than Rachel. They were best friends since the day he saved her for some jock who was hitting on her in high school. Since that day, he always thought of himself as the brother she never had but always wanted. Her grandmother died shortly after she enlisted, leaving her completely alone in the world. The Cullen family instantly adopted her, giving her a place to call home. _It was his job to protect her and he couldn't. _Edward carried that guilt with him every day.

Then after he returned, Edward was basically a hermit, only coming out of his house for work and his mother's once a week brunches. He had closed himself off to all relationships, deeming himself unworthy of love or friendships. Well, that was until last night. Emmett had convinced him to go to McAbe's, a local brewery that served some of the best wheat ale that one could find. It was rumored that the owner, Abraham McAbe had his moonshine hidden in the floorboards of the bar. Edward wouldn't doubt that though. McAbe was the local loon.

Unfortunately, Edward had too much to drink at McAbe's. And for some reason, thought it would be a good idea to have some company last night, which had led to the morning from hell. Some girl with long blonde hair was currently situated in his bed. _Was it Tabitha, Tasha, - no Tanya_. Edward groaned, hoping that she would be gone before he got back. He not so subtly hinted that he wouldn't be back till the next morning, so hopefully she caught his drift.

She had looked so devastated when Edward had pried himself out her grasp in the morning. He normally hated cuddling, and this girl was all about it. He didn't like it - it seemed almost too intimate - almost too loving.

He shook the thought of Tanya from his mind and looked back down at Rachel's grave. "I don't think you would like what you see now Rach."

With that he turned and glanced one last time at the memorial, making his way back to his Volvo.

----------

Emmett Cullen was waiting by the Volvo with a hot thermos of what Edward assumed was coffee waiting for him. Emmett passed the thermos to him, not saying much of anything, knowing that Edward needed to work through his emotions. Emmett knew that his brother would start talking when he was ready.

Edward took a drink of the coffee and looked appreciatively at his brother. "Thanks, how did you know I was going to need this?"

"I'm your brother. I have known you since you were born. There was no way in hell you were not going to be here today, I just didn't know when you were going to show up."

"How long have you been waiting?" Edward asked.

"Not long." Emmett shrugged. He had been waiting for about thirty minutes. He wasn't going to tell Edward that though. Rosalie, the girl he met last night at the bar, was still in his bed, sleeping peacefully.

Edward nodded, staring at his brother. Emmett and Edward really looked nothing alike. If someone didn't know that they were brothers, they wouldn't have known. Emmett looked just like his grandfather on his father's side. He was an inch taller than Edward, with dark black hair and striking cerulean eyes. He was bulkier, having played football until he was sidelined with an injury. Emmett looked downright intimidating. It is what made him such a great cop.

Edward, on the other hand, looked more like his Grandfather Masen. Edward inherited his mother's hair color. It was described as anywhere between dark blonde, to bronze with red highlights. His hair seemingly had a life of its own; much to his mother's dismay. Edward was lean and muscular, standing at a good six feet, one inch. He had started working out when he joined the military and lost the weight that plagued him for most of his life.

"So did you bring that blonde girl home last night?" Emmett asked, hoping that he brother was going to snap out of his funk.

"I think her name is Tanya. Yeah, I brought her home. I can't believe you let me do that - I never bring girls back to my place," Edward moaned. "Now, I can't get her to leave. I left her not so subtle hints that I wouldn't be back until late and that she should leave."

Emmett stared at him. "Sorry that I wanted you to get some bro, but you really needed to get laid."

Edward sighed. The physical relief was awesome, not that she was good in bed, he just hadn't gotten any in awhile. "I handed Tanya her clothes this morning and told her I would call her when I had time."

Emmett shook his head. "Are you planning on calling her?"

Edward shrugged. "Probably not. Blondes aren't my thing."

"That is all you used to date," Emmett commented.

"I don't really have a type anymore." Edward took another sip of his coffee. "So, what are the odds I'm going to be called in?"

"Fairly good, meaning you probably aren't going to be able to sit at home and wallow tonight," Emmett told him. "Are you alright?"

Edward shrugged. "For the most part. Shoulder still hurts like hell some days. I still miss them like crazy."

Edward breathed out, watching his breath form particles in the cold air. "I'm going to head back home. I think I need to grab a couple of hours of sleep before I get called in."

"That's probably a good idea Bro." Emmett turned to go back to his Jeep when he heard Edward call back out to him.

"Thanks for being her Emmett." Edward's voice broke a bit.

"I'm your big brother, I had nowhere else I needed to be right now."

----------

Edward went back to his place, and much to his surprise, Tanya had already vacated it. He stripped his sheets and pillowcases hoping to erase her sickening, sweet smell from his room. Whatever perfume she wore, it stunk. Edward ran the load of laundry, wondering what he had to do next. He needed to keep busy, knowing that he couldn't drink himself into a stupor. He had responsibilities.

He walked around his tastefully decorated house. His mother and sister helped, but honestly, the décor was almost all Edward. He stopped at the piano, he hadn't touched it in ages, and was quite frankly there just for show. It seemed like such a waste to have such a beautiful instrument in his house without playing it, but he couldn't part with it. He looked longingly at it, and approached it.

Edward sat gingerly down on the bench, hearing the legs creak underneath his weight. It was time to get back to normal. He touched the keys, playing a simple tune to warm up. He smiled as he played, remembering some of the simple tunes that he learned for various recitals.

As he finished the last bar of Clare de Lune, a small gasp escaped the lips of his mother.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," Esme stumbled over her words. "I just came by to see how you were doing. It's so wonderful to hear you play again. Have you been playing long?"

Edward smiled, and stood from the bench. He walked over to his mother and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek. "You are never intruding. I actually just started playing again today."

Esme looked at him with questions in her eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"I just decided that I need to start doing some of the things I used to enjoy."

Esme nodded. "It's been a long year for you, Son." Edward shrugged. "Believe it or not, I'm very proud of you. I brought you some lunch, figuring that you hadn't eaten in awhile."

"I ate some breakfast," Edward said defensively.

"I meant good, home-cooked, Mom cooking," Esme told him, unwrapping a curry chicken salad. "You and your siblings eat too much fast food as far as I'm concerned. So . . . I heard that you and Emmett went out last night. Did you meet anyone nice?"

Edward rolled his eyes, while his back was facing his mother. "I did, but . . ."

"Oh, Edward, that's wonderful," Esme interrupted. "You know that Alice met someone at one of her Salsa dancing classes. Apparently, his twin sister runs the place and needed him to come to help with the male to female ratio. Alice swears that he may be the one."

"Mom, that's great for Alice, but I really don't see a future for Tanya and me."

Esme groaned a little. "Well, I'm sure you will meet a perfectly nice girl at the carnival in March. Your father and I have to help out with the hospital booth for a little bit, can I convince you to sign up for an hour to take blood pressures and things like that?"

"Sure Mom, I'll do an hour to help Dad out."

"He'll be so happy." Esme prattled on for a couple of hours, keeping Edward company. She always knew what he needed, even when he didn't. It must be a mother thing or something. When she left, needing to beat the weather home, Edward was faced again with a large home and his thoughts. Instead of being left alone, he grabbed his keys and his cell phone and decided to head out for a drive. Weather be damned.

**_AN: Reviews rock my socks and makes me incredibly happy. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Reviews feed the author's soul._**

**_Also - because of the terms of agreement with , I have decided to do less graphic lemons (more like a fade to black - which I hate) on this site. Depending on my mood, I may post the more graphic side of this story on twilighted._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three:**_

Edward had stopped for lunch at an old diner off of Old Route 201. He had just stocked his father's hunting cabin for the annual Cullen men hunting trip. It was an annual trip of sorts that Edward had always looked forward to, and was looking forward to this year. He had missed the last couple because of obvious reasons.

Edward thought about his second tour in Afghanistan.

It went like this: Uzbi Valley, October 2008. The Eighth unit, which Edward was assigned to, was ordered to pacify the escalating violence in the valley with the help of the Afghan military. Edward was there to train the Afghan military doctors in life saving procedures out in the field, but for this mission he was going in with the rest of them. He volunteered, much to his commanding officer's dismay. Even though Edward was a doctor, he was a trained fighter as well, and could handle himself under fire as well as any other solider out there. He was needed, so he went. It was as simple as that.

They were to rendezvous with the Tenth unit, Rachel's unit. The plan was a simple one, flush out the insurgents and secure the area. Intelligence claimed of two small radical groups in one of the villages, but that wasn't the case.

Upon arriving in the village, the Tenth unit was completely overrun by the insurgents. Edward immediately sprang into action, attending to the ones he could save, hearing the last wishes of the ones that he knew wouldn't. He could still hear some of their voices in his head.

Around the third day of the operation, a cease fire was called, allowing troops to gather their wounded and regroup what little they could. Edward saved who he could, sometimes wondering if he could do more than what he was doing. They were held up in an abandoned hospital. Edward had just finished stabilizing a man with an arterial bleed when all of the sudden the building shook.

Mass chaos had broken out around him. Soldiers were scrambling around him, gathering what weapons they could to arm themselves in case of a siege. Edward had looked around, linking eyes with Rachel.

"Edward, you are the most senior officer! Take control!" Rachel yelled out as another mortar hit the building.

Edward cursed and grabbed a gun. He barked orders, commanding those who could move were too help move the wounded to basement, away from windows. The ones that could fight, were to move to higher positions to take out the insurgents. The men listened quickly and efficiently.

Edward moved quickly up to the top floor of the embattled hospital with each man by a window. Rachel was to his left, another man named Sean was to his right. Sean's wife had just had a child, a little girl named Bree, who he was excited to meet. The building shook again and Edward realized that they were going to have to take action.

"Fire, then take cover, got it? We don't have much ammunition left, so we have to make each shot count!"

Rachel and Peter nodded. Edward peered out the window, surveying the situation. Insurgents were surrounding the hospital, bombarding the thin walls with all the firepower that they had. Edward pointed to the insurgents that were holding missile launchers, indicating to take those men out first. Edward aimed, hitting one directly in his chest. Rachel took aim, causing another to go on.

Edward watched as the men outside started going down, but he knew that the firepower was too much. They needed reinforcements. He watched in horror as his men started to go down around him, and he drug them away from the windows to safety. The battle lasted for about an hour before the cavalry showed up. In the end, a lot of troops lost their lives, only fifteen of them made it out unscathed . . . Edward being one of them. Rachel had sustained a flesh wound and Sean had lost his life. Edward was hailed a hero for his quick thinking and taking lead on an otherwise impossible situation, but he didn't feel like one.

When he asked why the insurgents broke the cease fire he was told that the true nature of the operation was a rescue. There was a top military official that had been rescued by Rachel's unit and the insurgents had desperately wanted him back.

Edward later found out that he had saved Commander Jasper Whitlock's life when he had stabilized the arterial bleed. Not many people would have been able to pull it off. Edward received a medal for that day.

_A fucking medal._

So many lives were lost, but he had survived and he received a medal. After the awards ceremony, he promptly threw it in a desk drawer and barely thought of it again.

There was a man at the diner that had reminded him of Sean. They had the same build, same hair color, same mannerism. Edward searched his brain trying to remember where Sean had said he had been from. It was someplace in California, so there must have been no relation there. Edward settled up his bill and quickly left, trying to beat the weather to the station.

----------

He drove down Old Route 201 thinking about Commander Jasper Whitlock. He had researched the man a little bit and found that he had grown up in Valle Crucis. It was a small mountain town in North Carolina, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. Edward wanted to know if the man was doing something good with his life now that he had left the military.

Edward reached for his coffee mug, sipping it carefully, knowing that the liquid inside was still scorching hot from the diner. The snow was coming down in buckets and his cell phone was ringing. He was being called into work, just like he had expected.

He answered the call, telling them that he was on his way, as he made his way down the old trucking route. He said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw the road was deserted. The NCDOT always neglected this route, and it was prone to black ice. Edward could tell that it was becoming hazardous from the way his care was handling.

He slowed his pace, watching the road carefully. The last thing he needed was to get into an accident himself. Edward was getting ready to turn on the main road when in his rearview he saw a set of tires spinning in a ditch. He stopped the car and got out to see if there was anything he could do to help.

Edward approached the car carefully, noting that there was a live wire popping haphazardly from a downed power line from where the car careened into it. He approached the driver's side of the vehicle, hearing the crunch of broken glass underneath his boots.

"Are you alright in there?" Edward called out as his training kicked in.

Bella moaned softly, hearing his voice. She felt the pain in her leg, and was aware that she was flipped upside down. She could feel the warmth of her blood seeping out of her jeans and could taste the metallic taste in her mouth. This wasn't a good situation at all.

_How was Ethan?_

"Don't move . . . I'm going to call for an ambulance," the voice called out to her again.

Bella felt the pain rush through her leg again and she cried out in pain again. There was so much blood, she knew that this couldn't be good at all.

Bella watched as the boots disappeared from view, but then reappeared a couple seconds later. The car door opened and her eyes made contact with the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen.

"I'm Edward Cullen. I'm a paramedic; please don't try to talk or move right now. You are pretty banged up. You have a really bad gash on your head and there is a piece of glass jammed into your upper leg. I'm going to try to get some of this glass out of your cut now," Edward explained softly.

Bella groaned. "Check on Ethan."

"Who's Ethan?"

"My son, he is in the back seat."

Edward's eyes slipped to the backseat where he saw an empty car seat. "Ma'am, there is no one back there."

Bella gasped, pushing against the ceiling of her car to gain some leverage to look. "My son was back there. He's three," Bella started panicking. "Oh God . . ."

"Ma'am, breathe. What's your name?"

"Isabella Swan. Call me Bella," she gasped out. She could feel herself get woozy again.

"Okay Bella, I need you to breathe for me. You're having a panic attack," Edward coaxed her. "I want you to focus on me and take a deep breath."

Bella nodded, trying to get control of her breathing. "You have to find Ethan!"

"Tell me about him," Edward told her, trying to get her to calm down. She was going to pass out if she didn't calm down soon and he didn't have anything in his car to sedate her.

"He's three and a half. He had brown hair, the color of mine, it's pretty spiked up right now. He has big bright blue eyes and he is wearing a denim jacket and Gap sweatshirt. He's about three feet tall," Bella told him, trying to describe him. She coughed, feeling a metallic taste in her mouth. _Blood._

Edward cursed softly, knowing that it wasn't a good sign. He grabbed her hand, locking his eyes with hers. "I will find Ethan for you, you just have to stay with me now. Tell me more about him."

"He doesn't talk very well," Bella closed her eyes briefly. "He's a pretty quiet child and won't respond when you call for him. Please find him," she begged before succumbing to the pain. Edward exhaled rapidly, and quickly reached out to find her pulse. It was there, but barely.

Edward cursed softly, assessing the situation. The power had gone out, thankfully. At least the wire was no longer popping around the car. He needed to move her and quick to try to stop her bleeding. The limb hit her femoral artery and from what he could tell, she probably had a broken ankle, broken wrist, and a concussion among the obvious cuts and bruises.

And what about her son? There was no trace of a little body in the back of the car, much to his relief. Edward stood, wiping his hands on his jeans, looking around at the situation. A little boy was out there, wondering around in the worst snow storm that the Southeast had seen in ages. He cursed silently, and called out.

"Ethan!"

He strained to hear a response, but nothing came. He hoped that he would yell back, but knew it was doubtful, from what Bella had told him. He debated leaving the site and looking for the child on his own, but knew that it wasn't a good idea. He couldn't leave the woman by herself until help came, and if something happened to him during the search, no one would know . . . so he waited.

Help arrived about fifteen minutes later, much to Edward's dismay. It had taken them entirely too long to respond. Emmett pulled up a couple of minutes later, surveying the scene.

"Edward, the firemen have to cut her out using the Jaws of Life. I also called for a helicopter to come and transport her to Duke."

Edward nodded. "She said her son was in the back seat. I didn't see anyone back there, so I'm sure he was thrown from the car or has wondered away. We have to find him Emmett. I need you to call for some of your men."

Emmett nodded.

"But, you have to know something . . . he doesn't talk."

"Is he stupid or something?"

Edward bristled at that. Sure, he had no ties to the child, but he hated the fact that his brother was so blasé about it.

"She didn't mention anything about mental deficits, he just may be a slow talker," Edward shrugged. "Anyway, all I know is that there is a three year old wondering around out there in the storm of a century and we have to find him."

"Okay," Emmett said. "I'll call my men and we will start a search grid from the car. He couldn't have gotten too far could he?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders and waited, hating the fact that more time was ticking away.

----------

Edward watched as the firemen pulled Bella from the car. They were muttering about her being a lost cause, but Edward didn't want to hear it. He quickly got to work on her, assessing her injuries. He wasn't going to lie, it was bad. A piece of metal had imbedded itself into her thigh, nicking her femoral artery. He had seen this type of injury before in the field.

He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing. He clicked on his blue tooth and called his father. Carlisle needed to know what he was getting ready to do.

"Carlisle Cullen."

"It's Edward. I'm at a site of an accident, a young female with lots of internal bleeding it seems. They pulled her from the car and she is losing blood rapidly. I don't want her to lose her leg."

Carlisle sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Locate the bleed and stop it Edward. You know how to do this. I'm heading into work now. I'll be at Duke the rest of the night. Good luck son."

He grabbed some rubber tubing from the rig and made a tourniquet.

"What the hell are you doing man?" Jane screeched. "We aren't trained to do that shit!"

"I'm trying to save her life . . ." Edward screamed. "Now help, or move out of the way."

Jane muttered something about not wanting to lose her license when she got shoved out of the way by Charlotte, another paramedic. "What do you need Dr. Cullen?"

"Cut the shit Char," Edward muttered as he shot her with some morphine. "I need some saline to clean the wound and a scalpel," Edward told her, keeping his eyes on the heart monitor. She was holding on.

Charlotte handed him the scalpel and watched as Edward cut into her, clamping off the artery. Satisfied that the blood flow had stopped to the wound, he plucked the glass out of the wound carefully, cleaning the debris from the area. He then quickly sutured up the femoral artery and unclamped it to make sure he had restored blood flow.

"Are you kidding me Cullen, did you just perform vascular surgery out here?" Jane yelled.

"She couldn't lose her leg Jane," Edward said as he informed the flight crew of her condition. "She has a kid to keep up with."

"It's your career man, that's all I'm saying."

Edward pulled off his gloves, throwing them into the pile of things to clean up.

"Cut the shit Jane," Charlotte exclaimed. "Now are we going to sit around and bicker or are we going to try to find her little boy that has wondered off?"

They quickly met up with the search party were getting organized by the search site. Emmett looked at them.

"It's a simple grid pattern we are doing. I'll head the party going south, Edward you take north, Peter is taking east, and Logan is taking west," Emmett told them, effectively introducing the police officers who had come to join in the search. "Check in every thirty minutes."

They took off, into the snow-covered terrain.

----------

Esme Cullen was never one to sit back and let a little snow ruin her day. She had just returned home from visiting Edward and had been listening to her police scanner when Carlisle had to head into Duke Medical Center.

Carlisle had given her grief when she had come home with the purchase, right after Emmett had joined the force four years ago. But, Esme didn't care, and now it was her nightly ritual to drink her coffee and listen to the scanner. She worried about all of her children. Emmett had hurt himself pretty badly, dashing his dreams at a pro football career, but now, he seemed to have figured things out. Alice was a free spirit who was her daddy's little girl, through and through. Edward, oh, her youngest child, was just a mess. If they could all just find someone to settle down with, Esme could breathe a little easier.

She flipped the frequency to another channel and poured herself another cup of coffee. She was going to be up half the night listening to the scanner and reading the applications for the Cullen Scholarship. It was an scholarship set up for people pursuing a postgraduate degree in anything medical related. It was awarded every other year during an even year. This year, they had received more applications than ever.

She had been sipping her coffee when she heard Emmett's voice come in clear through the scanner requesting backup for the search for a missing boy out near Route 201. Turns out, she actually knew the young mother in the accident. She had been the recipient of the Cullen Scholarship for Graduate Studies for the 2004-2006 school year. Esme never forgot a name when was told it. She had met the young woman for lunch one day.

Knowing that she just couldn't sit in her house and drink her coffee, she picked up her car keys and braved the storm. She was going to Duke to wait for Isabella Swan's arrival.

----------

Seconds ticked into minutes, and minutes ticked into hours, and soon it had been three hours since Edward had stumbled across the accident site, and about an hour since they had started their search for little Ethan Swan. Every second counted. The temperature was dropping and the wind was picking up. Soon, they were going to have to call of the search to protect the lives of the workers.

He promised Bella though.

Edward didn't understand it, but he felt the innate need to help her more than anyone else. She looked so lost, so panicked when he found her, he had wanted to rip her from that car himself and protect her. He had felt that way when he first saw Rachel.

Edward looked to the sky. "Rachel, I could use some help right now!"

Edward sloshed his way north, calling out Ethan's name every couple of minutes. He knew that Ethan wasn't going to answer, but it was still worth a shot. The wind was to his back, helping him along. Edward felt bad that the other's were fighting the wind.

_If he was a child, he would want to hear people calling for him if he was missing._

He heard the searcher party voices ringing through the storm, calling out of this little lost boy. Bella seemed so scared without him, as any mother would be. This situation was worse. They were out in a storm with a child who seemingly couldn't answer them. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

_If he was a three year old, where would he be? Why would Ethan leave the car?_

Edward's eyes swept around and he saw a radio tower with the blinking lights on the top. Could it be that Ethan made his way out of the car to find help for his mother? The blinking lights looked like emergency lights. Emmett and Edward had always thought that any blinking lights were emergency lights when they were children. _Maybe Ethan thought the same way_.

Edward deviated from his path, making his way through the storm and to the blinking homing beacon. _Please God, let Ethan be safe._ Feeling a new sense of rigor, he picked up his pace, calling out for Ethan every couple of seconds.

He got on his radio and called for Emmett.

"What's up bro?"

"I think I know which direction Ethan headed in."

"How?"

"If you were a three year old, could you fight this wind, or would you go with it?

"Probably with it, this wind is brutal man," Emmett paused. "You're a freaking genius. I'll let the other's know."

Edward continued on his course and reached the base of the radio tower. His eyes flickered around and much to his dismay, there was no one there. He took a deep breath and screamed out again.

"Ethan!"

He turned around, getting ready to head back across the field when he saw it. A little blue denim jacket almost completely covered in snow at the far end of the tower. It moved slightly and Edward ran over. There, covered in snow was Ethan Swan.

Edward scooped the little guy up in his arms, pulling him into his jacket to give him some of his body heat, hoping to warm him up some.

"Ethan, I'm your Mommy's friend, Edward."

Ethan's eyes connected with Edward's and he shivered.

"Ward, Montee hut." Ethan cried out, shivering. (Edward, Mommy hurt)

Edward nodded, holding Ethan close to his chest. "It's alright Buddy, we are going to fix you and Mommy up." Edward promised him.

He radioed his brother and waited for the ambulance to come up to meet them for the ride to Duke to reunite Bella and Ethan. He hoped to God that she made it.

**Really long AN: I typed through the night to get this out to you. It is not proofed, but I wanted to get it out to you. Hoped you enjoyed it. Hit the little button and send me some love. ****I am flabbergasted by all the story alerts and favorites that this got added to. I'm only averaging about three reviews per update though . . . **

**Also, I'm going to try to update this one every Sunday. I try to hit at least 3500 words before I update and that is about 8 pages in MS Word, so it does take a little bit to chug it out. This time it was a little rough because family was in town, and next weekend I will be out of town - so there may not be an update next Sunday (sorry ahead of time)**

**I'm going to add the hot and heavy version of this over on Twilighted, when it gets to that point I will let you know. **

**Also, for those of you reading OUATIF, I haven't forgotten it, I just am experiencing a block on it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I want to say thank you for the reviews and story alerts. On to chapter four . . . hope you enjoy it.**

_**Chapter Four:**_

Esme Cullen sat in room 217 staring at the young woman in front of her. The hospital normally wouldn't have allowed nonfamily visitors, however she used her husband's name and they allowed her to enter. Isabella Swan just wasn't just anyone. She remembered Isabella Swan from their lunch almost 4 years ago. Her hair was much longer now and even though Bella was swollen from head to toe, she still looked as beautiful as she once was.

Esme reached down and grabbed Bella's hand, squeezing it softly. "You need to wake up soon Honey. When Ethan is found, he is going to need his Mommy."

Carlisle walked into the room, sitting down next to his wife, handing her a cup of coffee. Esme looked over at her husband and smiled slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bella needs someone," Esme replied simply. "So I came."

"How do you know her?"

"Bella won the scholarship a couple years ago. She wanted to become a physical therapist."

Carlisle nodded, reaching for his wife's hand. "She became one actually. Dr. Isabella Swan, DPT as a matter of fact, is employed here." He picked up her chart and made a couple of notations inside of her vitals, noting that her vitals were remaining strong. Carlisle was encouraged by this. He had seen Bella running up and down the halls of the hospital with her patients earlier in the morning. Her dedication to her job was astounding. He was grateful that Edward was present to save her leg.

"How is she doing?" Esme asked knowing that the answer would be vague. It didn't matter anyway, she could see with her own two eyes that Bella was going to have a long road of recovery in front of her. Her heart went out to the girl.

Carlisle picked up her chart and looked over at his wife. He could see the hope in her eyes.

"Edward saved her life out there. It is now a wait and see game," Carlisle told her without revealing too much. "I should try to call her family."

Esme shook her head sadly. "Her father lives in Valle Crucis, and most of the cell towers are down up there from the storm. I tried to call him already. I also tried her mother in Phoenix with no answer. I only hope that Emmett and his team can find her son."

Carlisle tilted his head. "Her son?"

"Apparently her young son was in the backseat of the car when it flipped. Young Ethan Swan is out there wandering around in the worst storm ever. Edward and Emmett are out there looking for him." Tears were forming in his eyes.

Carlisle reached over and grabbed his wife hand, trying to bring a little comfort to her.

"Esme, darling, you worry too much. Edward and Emmett will find Ethan." Carlisle tried to put her mind to ease.

"How do you know?" Esme sniffled. "Bella is going to wake up and need her son."

"Our sons are the most tenacious children I know. They have never given up once, I don't think they will choose to do so now," Carlisle responded, running his hands through his hair. "Can I tell you to wait in my office until we can ride home together?"

"If you try to tell me what to do, I'll hit you Carlisle!" Esme threatened.

Carlisle smiled at his wife. "I wouldn't dream of it, Dear . . ."

"Good. I'm not leaving side," Esme said resolutely.

"I didn't think you would." Carlisle smiled at his wife. He was getting ready to suggest something else when he was interrupted.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen to the ER, Dr. Carlisle Cullen to the ER."

He shook his head hearing the page over the loud speaker. He kissed his wife on the cheek. "Esme, you really shouldn't be here."

"I know Carlisle, it's just she has no one else. Besides, where else would I be? You are here and Edward and Emmett are part of the search team. .Me."

"I'll have the nurse bring you a blanket and you should try to get some rest yourself. I'll come back to check on you in a little bit," he told her. "The chair pulls out, but if you want to go to my office, there is that ridiculously big sofa that you put in there when I took over the Chief of Surgery position."

"I know, and I might take you up on that, but I need to stay with her until we know about Ethan."

Carlisle nodded, knowing that there was no reasoning with his wife sometimes.

Esme smiled, turning to watch the slow steady beeps on the heart monitor, oddly reassured that Isabella Swan was still in there, fighting.

----------

Edward cuddled Ethan closer to his chest trying to keep the both of them warm. The elements were against them, bringing high gusts of wind that almost knocked Edward over a couple of times. _Where was the damn ambulance?_

He pulled the youngster closer to him still, hoping to transfer what little body heat he had to the child. He didn't care about him, he needed to get Ethan warmer. He had no clue how long Ethan had actually battled the elements.

The snow had picked up again. And Edward figured that there was no way they could fight the wind back to the accident site. Through the wind and snow, Ethan Swan had somehow managed to hike a good three miles away from the accident scene trying to locate some help for his mother. Ethan wasn't unlike Edward in that way. The thought made him smile. Edward, himself, was greatly protective over his own mother. _Esme was a saint for putting up with him_.

Ethan was oddly quiet child, not saying anything to Edward other than the sentence he screamed out when Edward had found him. He had expected Ethan to be a quiet child from what Bella had told him. He was hardly the type of child to wander off.

Edward looked over Ethan, noticing a gash in his arm that was going to require stitches at the hospital. Edward wouldn't have noticed it, but Ethan had a bright red stain on his arm. Other than that, there wasn't much that Edward could tell though. Ethan didn't complain of any pain, or even being cold. However, Ethan had been clinging to Edward ever since he had plucked him out of the snow. He pulled his jacket around them both, hoping to shield Ethan from the weather as much as he could. It wasn't much, but it was going to have to suffice for the time being. He could hear the chattering of Ethan's teeth, knowing that he had been out in the elements for much too long. He felt so hepless.

Edward stood in the wet snow, clinging to Ethan, trying in vain to warm him up, rubbing his arms vigorously. He had to get him to a hospital so they could check him for any internal injuries. There was no telling if there was any internal bleeding. He had been in a car accident for Christ sakes! And now, he knew that the boy's body temperature had dropped being out in the storm. He cursed, causing Ethan to gasp, when he realized how long the ambulance was taking to reach them. _It was entirely too long_. Ethan had been missing for over three hours from his count, and who knew from before Edward had stumbled across them.

Ethan cringed as the ambulance sirens drew closer, causing his small body to shake even more against Edward's chest.

"It's alright Buddy. The ambulance is coming to help us."

Ethan looked at Edward skeptically. Ethan tightened his hold around Edward, trying to convey that he didn't want to let Edward go.

"I'm going to stay with you. Is that alright?" Edward reassured the child.

Ethan nodded his head, still shaking, but not as much. "Montee?"

"Mommy went to the hospital to get fixed up. We are going to get her," Edward tried to explain, hoping that he wasn't confusing him.

"Hut bad," Ethan commented. (Hurt bad)

"That she was Ethan," Edward agreed with him. He didn't want to lie to the child. "But, my dad is working real hard to fix her up."

The ambulance approached and Edward told them to cut the sirens. He didn't want to upset Ethan any further than what he had too. Charlotte and Jane approached him and Jane reached out to take Ethan from him.

"NO! Ward!" Ethan screamed clinging to Edward for dear life.

Edward couldn't blame him, he wouldn't want to be alone with Jane either. _The old saying was true: children could sense evil._

Edward reached back for Ethan, shooting Jane a look. He rubbed soothing circles on his back, speaking softly to the child. When Ethan was sufficiently calmed down, Edward set him down on the gurney staying close to him.

"Ethan, I have to take off your wet clothes now," Edward explained to him so he wouldn't be scared. "It's going to make you feel so much warmer."

Ethan nodded, lifting his arms up so Edward could easily remove his wet jacket and sweatshirt. He was completely soaked through, and the clothes probably added about ten pounds to the small boy. He noted that Ethan wore name brand clothing, mostly Baby Gap and J. Crew, which was a stark contrast in what Bella was wearing.

He could tell that her clothes were well worn, but still were kept nice despite the age. _She made sure that Ethan had everything he could possibly need_. Edward smiled, ticking away that little bit of information.

Edward performed a quick visual assessment on the child, noting that he was in basically good health, minus the gash on his arm. _Thank God for that. _He wrapped Ethan up in a warming blanket and took the child's injured arm in his hand. He applied some antiseptic on it and wrapped it in gauze. He was surprised that Ethan wasn't crying about his arm.

"Are you warming up now?" Edward asked, his teeth chattering a little. He hadn't realized how cold he was. They had spent three hours looking for the child.

"Ward cole," Ethan announced. (Edward cold.)

Ethan pointed at Edward, motioning for him to take off his clothes as well. Charlotte smiled at the boy. "You are such a smart little boy! I was just getting ready to tell Edward to do that."

Edward groaned, stripping his clothes. He knew it was a necessary evil, but he didn't want his co-workers seeing him in his underwear. Charlotte chuckled, grinning at Edward. "If I wasn't with Peter right now, let me tell you Edward . . ."

"Shut it Charlotte, where is another warming blanket?"

Charlotte pointed to behind Edward. "Right behind his head on the shelf."

He turned, hearing Ethan gasp. "Ward hut!" He felt Ethan reach out and trace the small scar that he had on his shoulder. It was one of many.

"It's alright now Ethan, it's just a scar," Edward told him, grabbing the blanket and turning it on.

Ethan nodded, clamoring up on Edward's lap. Edward wrapped his arms around the young child instinctually and started humming softly to calm both of them. Ethan sighed softly in Edward's arms , settling in for the ride. Charlotte smiled at the site.

"You thinking about trying for children?" Edward asked softly, not wanted to disturb the resting child.

"Actually, Peter and I just found out we are expecting. I haven't told anyone else yet except for our supervisor."

"Char, you should have said something. You didn't need to be out in that weather today!"

"I made a calculated risk. Nothing happened, Edward, you shouldn't worry yourself so much. Edward, you did good out there today. I can't believe you performed vascular surgery on her!"

"All I did was control some bleeding," Edward replied, downplaying what he did. He did what he knew how to do; it was nothing special.

"No, really Edward, what you did was short of a miracle. We aren't trained on how to do that in school the last time a checked Ed."

"No, we were not trained to do that in paramedic school." Edward sighed and shifted Ethan in his arms. "I used to be a doctor."

"What?"

"I used to be a doctor. I did a tour in Afghanistan and was an Army doctor over there. I was part of the Eight unit," he whispered. Charlotte nodded, knowing a little about the history of the Eight Unit. "The type of wound that Bella had was the typical wound I would see over there. If I couldn't get to the soldier in time, most of the time they would bleed out. I couldn't let that happen to her."

"We would have just applied a tourniquet," Charlotte replied.

"With the delay in transportation, she would have lost her leg. She told me she is a physical therapist. She needed her leg. The tourniquet is great, but if we hadn't restored blood flow . . ." Edward trailed off, not wanting to think about the consequences. "I knew how to save her leg right then and there, so I did it. It's not that big of a deal."

"Regardless, Edward, you did good out there."

Edward nodded, tightening his hold on Ethan.

------------

Dr. Carlisle Cullen walked through the halls of the hospital, thinking about his last patient, Bella Swan. Edward had done a great job patching her up in the field, a feat that most doctors wouldn't have attempted, but not Edward. Carlisle beamed with pride when he saw the femoral artery patch that Edward had performed, the flight paramedics in awe of the "rookie" paramedic of Durham county.

Carlisle couldn't quite figure out his youngest son. Edward was a good mix of himself and his mother. Growing up, Edward was the quiet one of his children. He often chose to play the piano, or read an out dated version of children's Highlights. It surprised him when Edward announced that he was joining the military. He was surprised, but proud of him at the same time.

He remembered the call he received the night that Edward's chopper had crashed in the mountains. It was a night that changed his entire family. They were relieved to hear that he was alive, but the injuries, both physical and mental, took the Edward away that Carlisle had known. Carlisle had tried in vain to have Edward see a psychiatrist, but Edward wouldn't hear of it.

Thinking back on Isabella, Carlisle wondered what brought his Edward back. The present day Edward would have never tried something that risky in the field. Nonetheless, he was still glad to see the glimmer of Edward past and that Edward didn't shy away from having to do something that was very difficult. He was extremely proud of his son.

Carlisle rounded the hall, reaching the exam room that he had been paged to. He walked into the room and sucked in his breath at the sight. Edward was standing there in his boxers and a child was screaming for Edward.

"What is going on here?" Carlisle addressed the staff quickly.

"This man won't let us sedate the child so we can put stitches in his arm."

"Dad . . ."

"Everyone out!" Carlisle turned to the nurse. "Will you please bring my son a set of scrubs, and see if you can find a pediatric nightgown or scrubs for the little one."

The nurse nodded, walking quickly down the hall.

Edward had walked back over to the child and was starting a warm saline solution. "His body temperature is only 89 degrees. Ethan is warming up slowly now. He was out in the snow for four hours. I was surprised to see that he was still awake."

"Sometimes people can surprise you," Carlisle told him checking the IV placement.

"Dad, I know I haven't practiced in awhile . . ."

"I'm just checking Edward, I trust you, but this hospital still has liability for what is done inside these walls. You are no longer employed here, so I'm just covering the hospital's proverbial ass," Carlisle explained.

Ethan gasped and Carlisle chuckled. "I'm sorry," Carlisle apologized for the slip of the tongue. " I'm Carlisle," he told the toddler.

Ethan looked up at him and gave him a toothy smile. "Lisle!"

"Close enough," Carlisle laughed. "I saw what you did out there. It was good work Edward. Not many of us could have pulled that off out there. The patch was in a difficult place."

"Thanks Dad. How is she?" Edward asked while putting a numbing solution on Ethan's arm. Edward hoped that it wasn't too late for the young mother. Ethan needed his mother.

"Circulation to her leg has improved greatly. There is no risk of her losing her leg now, and that is because of you. We are cautiously optimistic for her recovery, but she is currently unconscious at this point. If she is not better by the morning, I'll send her down to CT."

Edward nodded, "Ethan, I'm going to fix your booboo, okay?"

Ethan nodded, watching in fascination as Edward stitched up his wound quickly.

"Good job Edward," Carlisle praised as he placed the stitches quickly in. Ethan didn't even flinch.

"Thanks Dad."

"You know, Son, whenever you are ready, your job will be waiting for you. But, whatever you decide, just know, I'm extremely proud of you."

Edward mumbled a thanks, and sat down in a chair. The exhaustion of the day had finally caught up with him. He dreaded to think of what would have happened to the child if he hadn't found him in time. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens, and then he closed his eyes for a second, trying to shake the images from his head.

"Ward?"

Edward looked over and saw Ethan looking at him, as if Ethan was trying to figure something out about him. As quickly as the look swept across his features, it was gone. Ethan reached out to him and Edward pulled the youngster into his arms, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

**AN: Sorry there was a delay on this. I was out of town last weekend and wanted to do some last minute polishing on this. **

**I hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a line . . . reviews rock my socks. **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Think of this as a slow burning story. There is going to be lots of character development and plotline development. I am also trying to figure out how fast or slow to take this.**

**I want to say thank you for the reviews and story alerts. Let's see if we can get at least 20 reviews for the next chapter . . . **

**Chapter Five:**

Edward stood by the hospital window, staring out on the falling snow. _Had it really only been twelve hours since the ordeal? _The forecasters predicted that the worst of the storm was over and all that would be coming through was a passing lingering snow shower. He breathed a sigh of relief. No one else could get hurt out in the storm. He knew that his team needed him, but Ethan Swan had felt otherwise, and had clung to Edward making it impossible for him to go. He didn't want to cause the child anymore distress than what he was feeling.

Edward turned and saw Ethan sitting quietly on the gurney. He stared at Edward, seeking answers. Edward knew that Ethan was missing his mother, but there was nothing Edward could do about that. Ethan knew that his mother was hurt, but didn't quite understand to what extent. Hell, Edward didn't even know what the extent of the injuries were. When Isabella Swan had been pulled from the wreckage, he was only concerned with trying to stop the femoral artery bleed to get her ready for transport.

Edward stiffened when he saw the social worker enter the room. He could tell at first glance that he didn't like her. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her glasses were too big for her face. She had a hairy mole on one side of her face and a nose that looked like it had fallen off Edward's great aunt Marilyn. She even smelled like Great-Aunt Marilyn. But it wasn't her looks that bothered Edward, it was her aura. She seemed impatient and angry.

"Hi I'm Lydia, who are you?" She asked Ethan quickly, not looking at the youngster.

Ethan quirked his eyebrow up in response, not bothering to answer the lady. Instead he choose to stare at the door, effectively ignoring her presence. Edward bit his lip.

"How rude," Lydia muttered underneath her breath.

Edward bristled at her tone of voice. "He really doesn't talk so well," Edward told her. "You have to talk softer and more gentle to him. He's missing his mom right now."

"Surely he can say his name. It says that he is three years old, old enough to participate in a simple conversation."

"Lydia," Edward began, holding his temper in check, "Ethan has been through a car wreck and now his mother is upstairs on the floor, fighting for her life. I was the paramedic that responded to the scene. His mother told me that Ethan doesn't communicate well even with her, let alone a stranger."

"Well . . ." Lydia paused, not knowing what to call the man in the exam room. It said in Ethan's chart that his mother was his only caregiver and that her parents were unable to be reached for custody of him. They were going to need to come up with a plan fast for him.

"Edward. Edward Cullen." Edward offered her his hand, which she reluctantly shook.

"Edward, Ethan has been medically cleared to go home once his temperature reaches 98 degrees and he continues to sustain it. Which, according to his chart he has been sustaining 98 degrees for about an hour. The hospital is not equipped to be a daycare service while Ms. Swan recuperates. I think the best place for Ethan will be a group home."

"Like hell he is going to go there!" Edward exploded. "I'll take him home with me first."

"Mr. Cullen . . ."

"Actually it is Dr. Cullen," Edward told her. Semantics, he knew, but still, the lady was really bothering him.

"Dr. Cullen, as the social worker assigned to the pediatric caseload here, we have to think about what is best for Ethan."

"A group home is not an option," Edward grounded out with finality.

"You are not a licensed foster parent," Lydia reasoned with him. "It is the best option we have for him at the moment."

"You don't get it lady. Ethan needs people to talk with him to stimulate his communication. He is going to get lost in a group home. People are going to ignore him and be cruel to him. This is not what he needs. Not after the trauma that he went through today. I can take him home with me. Just tell me what paperwork I have to fill out and I will do it," Edward pleaded. He had heard the horrors about the foster care system from Rachel. He didn't want that for Ethan. And, that was besides the fact that he had promised Ethan he would stick around. "I'll take him."

"You aren't a licensed foster parent," Lydia told him. The nasal tone of her voice was really beginning to bother him. Edward was getting ready to refute when he heard someone else walk into the exam room.

"But I am."

Edward turned and saw his mother and father walking into the exam room. He smiled at his mother who then looked over at Ethan.

"Hi Mom, Dad."

"Edward, we were just coming down to check on you. We heard that Ethan was going to be released," Carlisle informed him.

"Yes that is true. I'm Lydia, the social worker."

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen and this is my wife Esme." Carlisle made the introductions, and Esme nodded her head toward Lydia in acknowledgement.

"Who is this handsome little man?" Esme questioned, cooing at him.

"Etan," Ethan replied, smiling at Esme. "Lisle, Montee?"

"Your mother is upstairs trying to get better. She has a really big boo-boo," Carlisle explained softly.

Ethan nodded his head, turning back to Edward, making a motion for Edward to pick him up. Edward walked over and hoisted him up on his hip, smoothing down Ethan's unruly hair.

"Hi, I'm Lydia Sanders, the social worker. I'm sure you are well aware that there are rules that we have to go through . . ."

"Ms. Sanders, I'm well aware of your rules, and frankly some of your rules suck." Esme interrupted her. "Isabella has a father and two step-siblings that all live in North Carolina. Until the weather clears up though, unfortunately, Charlie cannot make it down from Valle Crucis. Carlisle and I are well equipped to make Ethan comfortable until his grandfather can come, or until Isabella wakes up - whichever one comes first.

"Please call Leslie James. She is the social worker who I have worked with previously. We were foster parents briefly to a teenage girl about 10 years ago. I have kept in contact with her and I'm sure she will be more than willing to vouch for Carlisle and my suitability."

Esme produced a card from her purse, handing it to the baffled social worker. Lydia eyed the card, taking it, muttering that she would make some calls. Once Lydia left the exam room, Esme walked up to Edward, kissing him on the cheek.

"I heard what you did out there Edward, you should be proud of yourself."

"I didn't do anything that I wasn't trained to do. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Ward?"

"Yes Ethan?"

"Ungree."

Edward looked a little confused until he heard Ethan's stomach rumble. "You're hungry," Edward clarified. Ethan shot Edward a look that said, "that's what I said dummy," causing Edward to laugh a bit at the youngster's look. "I'm sorry Buddy, sometimes I can't hear very good."

"Tis kay."

Edward smiled, setting Ethan down on the exam table for a brief moment. "Mom, could your run down to the cafeteria and see if they have something for him to eat?"

"Sure Sweetheart. What would you like to eat Ethan?"

Ethan looked at her and then back to Edward. Edward nodded his head, encouraging Ethan to reply. "Eggs."

Esme beamed up at Ethan, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ethan giggled a bit and wiped furiously at her lips stick mark. "I can tell he is going to be a fun one to be around," Esme laughed heading down the hall.

Carlisle looked over at Edward. "Son, I read over Ethan's medical charts awhile back at Bella's request."

"You know her?"

Carlisle nodded his head. "She has worked here for a year as our physical therapist. Really good at her job too. I'm extremely grateful that you were there to save her. She is going to have a rough road of recovery," Carlisle explained as he got back on track with his original thought, "Anyway this is the most that Ethan ever has interacted with anyone. I find it fascinating."

"Dad, do you know what happened to Ethan that makes him so withdrawn?"

"Nothing specific," Carlisle answered. "He has been tested for everything under the sun, and all of his tests come back negative. It seems as if he is just a slow talker. Bella actually had him at the language center for testing this morning, then drove him to daycare, before coming here for work. She is such a dedicated mother."

"What about his father?" Edward asked.

"Bella has never mentioned him, and I have never met him. I believe she is raising him on his own. She is doing a damn fine job of it."

"That she is," Edward replied. "When she was out in the snow, all she thought about was Ethan . . . finding him . . . making sure he was okay. She must have been in excruciating pain. I saw those types of injuries, hell I had those types of injuries . . ." Edward trailed off, hearing the screams of people in his head. He started panicking.

Carlisle caught Edward by the shoulder, looking at him square in the eye. "And you survived, as she will. Don't go back to that dark place Edward."

"I know Dad."

Edward tried to shove Carlisle off him, but Carlisle stood his ground. He waited until Edward's breathing leveled out before he relinquished his grip on his shoulder.

"You saved her life out there today. You did a good deed Son. You made it so her son would have a fully functioning mother, so she could continue to do the job she loves so much. You did all that."

"If she pulls through."

"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."

----------

Twenty four hours after the accident and the successful search for Ethan Swan, Esme Cullen was walking out of the hospital with her twenty-eight year old son and three year old ward in tow. She strapped Ethan into the car seat which she had acquired almost three years ago in hopes that her children would soon be gracing her with grandchildren. Edward looked at her curiously.

"It's from my grandchildren closet," Esme replied shrugging her shoulders.

"I thought you weren't going to use anything from the closet unless you had grandchildren," Edward pointed out, securing the last strap of the car seat, handing Ethan his juice. He quickly explained to Ethan not to squeeze the box before sipping the juice first.

Esme walked around the vehicle, muttering softly to herself. "Oh, he will be my grandchild, just you wait and see Edward."

She jumped in the driver side, waiting patiently for Edward to buckle himself in before she pulled off the pick-up area. She looked over and studied her son's face.

Edward had grown considerably older, not just in age, but in his features. Life was not the kindest to him the past couple of years, much to Esme's dismay. As a mother, she wanted to shield her son from the horrors of the world, not have him face them dead on. As a soldier he saw too many horrors over there, as a paramedic, he still had to deal with the horrors of the world. There was no way to shield him.

She saw the tiniest of cuts above his eyebrow, that was a scar that she was familiar with. He had gotten that scar sliding into home, beating Emmett's team by that run. Esme smiled at the memory.

"What are you smiling about Mom?"

"Just remembering how you got that scar above your eyebrow. Emmett couldn't believe you slid into home. He was mortified and proud at the same time that his baby brother's team beat his. I mean, you were junior varsity that year, and he was varsity."

Edward subconsciously touched the scar, tracing it slightly. "It bled so much. I thought Emmett was going to faint. I never thought Emmett would become a police officer."

"He never thought you would become a soldier," Esme muttered quietly.

"I was needed over there," Edward defended his decision again.

"Baby, I know," Esme replied.

"I just didn't think it would be so damn difficult. I thought everyone would be coming home. It was so hard Mom."

Esme sat stunned for a moment. Edward had never really opened up about his feelings of what he had endured over there. It wasn't much, but it was something for the time being.

"I had to save Bella Mom." Edward tried to explain, but he knew he was failing miserably at it.

"Honey, you are a protector, it's what you do."

"I might get in trouble for what I did yesterday. Technically I wasn't supposed to do that."

Esme nodded, slowing to turn into the neighborhood. "You did what was right. That is all that matters. You will cross that bridge when you come to it okay. Now, help me bring Ethan into the house. I had Nina set up the crib before she left. She set it up in Rachel's old room. Are you planning on staying?"

Edward nodded in affirmative. "It might be a better transition for Ethan if I'm around at least until her stepbrother or father show up."

"I was thinking the same thing," Esme replied. She opened the door and helped Edward inside. He found his way to Rachel's room, which she had inhabited a few short months before graduation. The room had been converted into a sitting room since Esme had given Rachel all of the furniture in it to help her get a start in her new apartment. Edward sighed entering the room for the first time since Rachel's death.

"She wanted us - you - to move on."

"I know Mom," he whispered laying the child down. He grabbed the monitor and cracked the door.

He looked over at his mother. "I just miss Rachel so much. You know that she would have been 26 years old?"

"Yeah Sweetheart, I did," Esme responded. She hugged Edward. "Her life was cut short, but yours doesn't have to be."

"What's that supposed to mean Mom?"

"Just think a little bit about it Edward. I love you. Get some sleep."

--------------

Edward made his downstairs smelling French toast in the kitchen. _Forget Folgers waking you up in the morning, Esme Cullen's French toast was the shiznits!_ He stumbled his way to the kitchen realizing that he was going to need one strong cup of coffee to help wake him up. Coffee and his mother's French toast.

He pulled up beside her, grabbing the Raleigh Tribune. There was no mention to the search and rescue efforts off of Route 201, not that Edward thought there would be. There was however mention of a pedophile getting 40 years in prison and another story about the rising cost of natural gas in the area. _There was never any good news in the news._

"Ward! Meme's oas!"

Edward looked over and saw that Ethan was covered in syrup and French toast. "Is it yummy?"

"Yes." Ethan broke his eye contact and Edward knew that was all he was going to get from Ethan about that. He was now preoccupied with chasing a piece of toast all over his plate.

"How did he sleep?" Edward asked his mother as she brought them their breakfast.

"He slept pretty soundly. Alice is bringing him some clothes as we speak and I just spoke to your dad and they are going to try to wean Bella off the vent."

"When some of the swelling goes down, we should take him over there to see her. Right now, I don't think it would be advisable."

Esme nodded. "Carlisle and I were talking about that last night. I was able to get a hold of Charlie Swan as well. He agrees with waiting for Ethan to see Bella. Charlie is worried that seeing Bella like that would cause some major regression in his speech. Bella has worked too hard with him to let him regress."

"Does Ethan go to speech therapy?"

"Once a week for 30 minutes. It is all that the insurance covers," Esme said sadly. "Bella has worked with him over the years just to get him to maintain eye contact."

"He seems to be doing great right now," Edward commented.

"According to Charlie it took a long time to see what Ethan is doing now. He said we should just continue to try to communicate with him to help with his development." Esme took a bite of her French toast, pleased with the way it turned out. "Now, what time do you go to work?"

"I have the night shift tonight from seven pm to seven am," Edward informed her. "But I have to go in and meet with my boss about the procedure I did on Bella. Apparently Jane is making a big stink about it and wants me to be punished."

"That's ridiculous."

"I know, but I didn't follow protocol and now I have to face the music. Hopefully I'll get a slap on the wrist considering her leg was saved and she didn't catch any infections from the elements." Edward sat down his fork, munching on his last piece of toast.

"Mom, did you save any for your favorite son?" Emmett's voice bellowed in through the house.

"Or your precious daughter who just had to go to extreme lengths to get my boss to let me purchase these items before the store even opened," Alice's singsong voiced wafted throughout the house.

Alice flitted in, depositing some of the bags at the stairs. "There's my nephew!" Alice cried out looking at Ethan. "You are just so adorable, so handsome. Look at those eyes, I swear I know those eyes from somewhere."

"Alice don't go getting attached to him. I'm just taking care of him until his mother gets better," Esme scolded plating some food up for her children.

"Mom, I had a dream last night. Ethan and Bella are going to remain a part of my family somehow. Don't mess with my dreams Mom."

"Yes Alice dear, we all know better than to mess with your sixth sense," Emmett teased, shoveling food into his mouth.

Edward rolled his eyes and grabbed Ethan out of his booster seat. "That one there is a crazy lady with a platinum card. Let's get you ready for the day Mister. Meme needs to finish her breakfast in peace."

**AN: I hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a line . . . reviews rock my socks. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Usual disclaimers still apply.**

**AN: Think of this as a slow burning story. There is going to be lots of character development and plotline development. I am also trying to figure out how fast or slow to take this.**

**I want to say thank you for the reviews and story alerts. Let's see if we can get at least 20 reviews for the next chapter . . . **

_**Chapter Six**_

Edward sat at the quiet diner, picking at his salad, pushing a grape tomato ideally around his plate. His fork went down with a clatter, causing Carlisle to look up.

"What's on your mind?" Edward could hear the concern in his father's voice. There was really no reason for it, he knew that it was eventual that he was going to have to meet on his actions on Bella's rescue three nights before. He just didn't think it would be this soon.

"Chief Essex wants to see me about the procedure I did on Bella in the storm. Is she doing okay? She hasn't gotten an infection yet, has she?"

Carlisle put down his coffee, putting up his hand to stop Edward's tirade. "She's fine Son. The swelling is going down and she is off the IVs. No infection to speak of yet. You stopped massive bleeding out there and saved her life. I don't understand why they need to speak with you."

"Because technically I was not acting within the scope of practice for a paramedic," Edward explained. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The words sounded silly as soon as he said it. He saved her life, that was all that mattered to him.

"It is within _your_ scope of practice Edward. You were trained in being a trauma surgeon in the military, you were one of the best residents we had. You did everything you were trained to do, and because of that you saved her life," Carlisle reasoned quietly. Edward could still hear the passion in his father's voice though.

"But . . ."

"No buts Edward," Carlisle stopped him. "Everything will be okay. Bill Essex is a fair man, and he will understand everything. I know you aren't ready to be a doctor again, but Edward, whenever you have decided that you want to come back, I will do everything I can to help you." Carlisle paused, taking a sip of his coffee. "Good luck at the hearing Son. Stop by my office when you are done."

__________

Edward made his way through Piedmont, surveying the streets of the town as he drove. The main drag of the town was a two-lane road consisting of the courthouse, library, and an old general store which the residents of the town kept alive. The clock on the courthouse was still an hour ahead. Someone hadn't changed it when they had to fall back at the ends of daylight savings. They probably would just leave it anyway, considering that the time was going to change back soon.

He pulled up to the station, killing his engine quickly. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Edward knew he did the right thing, Isabella Swan was alive, and Ethan Swan was currently sleeping safely on his bed at Esme and Carlisle's house.

He walked into the station and placed the muffins that Esme made on the receptionist desk and smiled at Sarah.

"Hey, Mom made some muffins for you guys this morning. Is the Chief in?" Edward shot her a dazzling smile running his hand through his hair.

"Edward, if you keep doing that then you're going to cause yourself to become bald," she teased reaching into the basket. "The Chief is in and is looking really tired from the past 48 hour, especially when one of his paramedics decided to play doctor on him."

"Sarah . . ."

"Edward, I get it, you did what you know how to do. I commend you for it. Charlotte said you did a fabulous job out there . The "procedure" was the talk of the station for awhile. Charlotte couldn't shut up about it. Anyway, let me tell the chief that you are here." Sarah stood gracefully from her chair, knocking on the door before entering. She smiled at him, making Edward feel marginally better about his situation.

Edward took a seat in the reception area unconsciously drumming his fingers on his jean-clad thigh, humming softly to himself. Sarah was taking awhile.

"Is this a pity party of one, or can anyone join?" Edward looked up and saw Charlotte sitting beside him, stilling his motion, calming him down. "I just spoke with the chief. Edward, Jane is really gunning for you."

"Why? All I did was stop some bleeding. Bella needed a chance to live a normal life. She needed to keep her leg. If she would have kept . . ."

"Edward, I know all that, and I told it to the chief. Hopefully everything will turn out okay. So . . . on to nicer topics, how is everything going with little Ethan Swan?"

"He is fine, he got syrup all over him this morning. Got me all wet when I tried to give him a bath. Mom had to step in to help me," Edward chuckled. "Speaking of her, Mom made the station muffins this morning. She thought that you and the baby could use some sustenance."

"Esme is so thoughtful. She invited Peter and me to dinner next Saturday night. I thought that she would be canceling with having to take care of Ethan, but she called me yesterday to confirm."

"Esme Cullen never cancels anything. Did she have any requests?"

"Just to bring someone for you. Apparently your brother and sister have dates already."

Edward rolled his eyes at his mother's matchmaking attempts. Edward was getting ready to comment when Chief Essex came out of his office. Bill Essex smiled at Charlotte and Edward, grabbing a muffin before the guys ate them all.

Edward stood, shaking his boss's proffered hand. He followed the chief back into his office and sat in the seat which Charlotte had just vacated.

Chief Essex seemed to have aged overnight, looking much older than the 42-year-old he was. There were the faintest outlines of wrinkles that weren't there the week before when they were all standing around playing pool. Maybe they were always there, but the stress of the storm just made the wrinkles more prominent. Edward knew that the storm had caused some damage to the station, as well as other building around the town, and he had heard through the grapevine that the chief himself even got on a rig and drove out to the thick of it. Edward respected him.

The chief handed him a cup of coffee, opting to sit beside him rather than behind his desk. After a couple minutes of silence, he heard the chief take a deep breath. _This wasn't a good sign._

"Thanks for coming in on your day off. I understand that you are helping your mother with her ward." Edward nodded. He knew that most of the town knew that Ethan was staying with them. _The perks of living in a small town_.

"Not a problem Chief."

"I'm going to cut to the chase . . . Edward that was some stunt you pulled out there. I spoke with your dad earlier today, and it seems that Isabella Swan is doing well underneath the circumstances."

Edward nodded, already knowing that little bit of information.

"Chief, I know that I acted out of my scope of practice, but she needed me. I couldn't just sit there and let her bleed out, not when there was something I could do about it."

"Edward, you did exactly what I would have done."

"Well, then I guess that is all then," Edward stood wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Edward, just because you did what you should have done doesn't negate the fact that you did practice outside your scope of practice. Jane is pushing for your permanent suspension."

"What!" Edward ran his hands through his hair. "Who cares about Jane!"

"She is you immediate supervisor." Edward went to interrupt again, however Chief Essex held up a hand to forestall him. "And I am Jane's supervisor. I pushed for your help when you showed interest in becoming a paramedic, and I knew that you wouldn't sit idly by when situations like this occurred. However you do need to have some kind of punishment." Chief Essex took off his glasses and sighed. "I am recommending a one month suspension with pay. It didn't escape my attention that the one year anniversary of the incident happened the day of the storm."

Edward sighed, standing up. "It's been a year Chief."

"You have been recovering and working ever since. I think you need to take some time for yourself. Look at it as a paid, forced vacation. Maybe afterward you will decide that you need more time, maybe you will decide to practice medicine again. A talent like yours shouldn't be wasted on the likes of us. There will be no arguing on this matter Edward. It's either this or your license."

Edward nodded. "I understand Chief, but I can't be sorry about it."

"I don't expect for you to be sorry about saving her life. Just take the break you deserve. Your job will always be waiting for you regardless of what you choose."

----------

Edward walked into room 6, looking at the young woman in the bed. She seemed so young, so frail, but Edward knew otherwise. Bella Swan was a fighter. He pulled the chair up to her bed and sat down, taking in the bruises that were slowly healing. She had taken a beating in the accident, but kept on.

"Bella, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Edward Cullen. I'm the paramedic who rescued you." Edward spoke softly, wondering if she could hear him. "I don't know if anyone told you, but Ethan was found, and he is doing alright. I'm sorry that I didn't get up here sooner to tell you, but Ethan is quite a handful." Ethan chuckled slightly.

"He seems to be a smart little boy, but he really needs his mother right now. Last night he woke up screaming for you, but you weren't there. I tried, I promise I did." Edward fell silent, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He could tell that underneath all the bruises that she was a beautiful woman.

His thoughts wondered between Bella and Ethan for a little bit. He wondered about Ethan's father, and where he was. No one had come to the hospital asking about her and there was no wedding band on her finger. Edward figured she must be a single mother.

Edward picked up a washcloth and began to wipe some of the grim off her face when he heard the door open to Bella's room.

"Edward, I thought I could find you in here. How did you meeting go?"

"They suspended me," Edward replied to his father, not stopping his motions on Bella's face. The grim from the accident was still apparent. "I thought they would, but it still kinda bites."

Carlisle nodded. He had expected that much. "How is she doing?"

"No response to stimuli yet, but she seems to be doing better than she was the last time I saw her. I thought I would step in for a moment. She doesn't have anyone here yet, and Ethan is too young to understand what is going on. I thought she might like some company for a little bit."

"That's fine Edward, but your mother called. She was looking for you, so before you disappear again, just give her a call to tell her where you are. She worries."

"Dad, I'm 28 years old, but I get that she worries. I understand Dad."

Carlisle shook his head with a small smile. "No Edward, I don't think you do. Son, she will always worry about you. Tell her I'll be home in time for dinner tonight and I'll give Ethan a check up to make sure he is still okay."

Edward nodded, turning his attention back to Bella before returning home for the night.

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Jasper Whitlock was leaning against his rental car when Edward pulled back into the driveway after his meeting with his father. Edward recognized him immediately.

Jasper Whitlock was taller and thinner than Edward, but he could tell that Jasper, like him, kept up with his military training. He had a runners build, much like Edward had. Not much had changed in the past two years since he had seen Commander Jasper Whitlock that fateful day in October 2008. Jasper was the same age as Edward, standing at six foot three. His hair had grown since their last encounter, showcasing a beautiful, natural blonde mane. Jasper's eyes were a striking deep blue. Edward could see a slight scar on Jasper's neck. He remembered stitching it up that day in the abandoned hospital.

Edward hoped that Alice had already left, and he suspected he had since her yellow Porsche was no longer in the drive. Jasper was definitely the type that Alice would go for. He got out of his car and approached him.

"Doc? Is that you?"

"Commander Whitlock? What are you doing standing in my parent's driveway?" Edward cut straight to the chase.

"No shit, this is your parent's place. I thought the surname Cullen sounded familiar. I came to visit my nephew, Ethan Swan."

Edward cocked his head to the side. There was no way Jasper Whitlock could be related to Bella Swan. They looked nothing alike.

"Ethan's mother is my stepsister. Our parents got married when we were young and they divorced when I joined the army. Anyway, Charlie is the only father I had ever known and is always there for me . . ." Jasper trailed off. "I just got in from California and I came here straight from the airport. Charlie gave me the address. Anyway, I wanted to make sure that Ethan was alright. Bella would have wanted me too."

Edward nodded. "Well, he should be awake now. He went down for a nap earlier this morning. Why don't you come in?" Edward led him up the stairs to the house.

"I appreciate that Doc," Jasper said, referring to Edward's old Army nickname.

"Just Edward now," Edward insisted.

"Call me Jasper. Captain Whitlock was my grandfather," he told him in kind. "I heard you saved my sister and nephew's life. We are in a debt of gratitude to you. What have you been up to since you left?"

"Recovering," Edward replied quickly, showing Jasper to the kitchen. He handed him a beer, which Jasper took gratefully.

"I heard about the crash and ambush. Sorry about your unit man."

Edward nodded, swallowing thickly. "More men were lost that time then during your recovery mission."

Jasper hung his head. "I'm sorry about that too. I'm so grateful to you and your men. Anyway, let's move on to better topics. Where are you practicing at?"

"I'm not. I'm a paramedic, or at least I think I am. I got suspended today."

"Sorry to hear that man."

Edward nodded his head, taking a quick pull of his beer. "I checked on Bella earlier today, she looks a million times better. The doctors think that she will pull out of this soon. Are you going to stick around for a little bit?"

"Yeah. I have been wanting to move back for a little bit and I have just been offered a job close to here. It will be good to get back on the east coast, and an added bonus with my sister living close by. I wasn't there for her when everything went down with Ethan's father." Jasper shook his head. "I wasn't around for my sister before, but I will be there for her and her son now."

Edward looked at Jasper, wanting more information about Ethan's father, however he could tell that it was a closed topic for the time being. Edward was getting ready to ask another question when Esme walked into the kitchen.

"Edward you didn't tell me you were home. And who is this?" Esme asked looking at Jasper.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock," he introduced. Edward noticed that his Texas drawl was still as thick as it was back then. "I'm Bella's stepbrother and Ethan's uncle. I had the opportunity of meeting Edward while we were in Afghanistan. Your son saved my life out there. He must have a knack for saving people's lives. Where is Ethan?"

"Ethan is just getting up from a nap now." She motioned to the still sleepy toddler on her shoulder. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I don't want to cause you any trouble man. I know that Charlie and I are extremely grateful for you hospitality with little Ethan here. Charlie will be coming down from Valley Crucis as soon as the roads open."

"It truly is no trouble. Ethan has been an absolute delight had has taken greatly to Edward," Esme beamed at her son. She handed Ethan over to Edward and grabbed a pan. "We are having chicken cordon bleu. Do you know if Ethan likes it?"

"I honestly don't know much about my nephew. Most of his life I had been stationed overseas. I'm moving back to North Carolina soon though and hope to rectify that."

"Well welcome back."

Later that evening, Jasper, Edward, Esme, and Carlisle were sitting in the sunroom. The men were nursing beers and Esme was drinking a glass of red wine, holding the baby monitor in her hand. It had been a lovely evening with snow still melting around them. Jasper and Edward had taken Ethan out to play in the snow, causing the youngster to tucker out quickly.

"So what are the plans with Ethan now that you are in the picture?" Carlisle asked casually.

"I was hoping that he could stay with you guys as he is well adjusted here. Charlie won't be able to get a lot of leave and I have affairs I have to attend to back in California for the move. I don't want to uproot him and have him live with me in the hotel while Bella recovers, if that is okay with you guys."

"That's fine with us Jasper. You are more than welcome to stay until you find a place of your own," Esme told him.

"I couldn't impose more than what I am. I would like to come and see my nephew more though," Jasper inquired as he took a pull of his beer.

"Certainly," Carlisle told him. "How about Bella? Do you know if her house is wheelchair accessible? She will most likely be in one for awhile."

Jasper shook his head. "Her house is fairly small from what I saw this afternoon. I could barely maneuver around in there. She lives in tight quarters. Books from ceiling to floor in her bedroom. She has been like that since we were younger though."

Esme nodded her head and Edward could tell that she was cooking up something in her head. It wasn't like his mother not to help out people in need. It was one of the traits he had inherited from her. Soon Jasper was heading out and Edward wished him well, enjoying the blast from the past more than he thought he would. After seeing Jasper out, Edward said a quick goodnight to his parents before retreating up the stairs.

Esme put her wine glass down and wrapped her arms around her husband.

"What is on your mind Love?" Carlisle asked dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"Carlisle, why do you think something is on my mind?"

"I have been married to you for thirty years now. I know that look," he told her, picking up the empty beer bottles. "Whatever you are planning, you should just let it be."

"Why is that Sweetheart? I just think that sometimes my children need a gentle push in the right direction."

"Darling, your gentle pushes are more like shoves," Carlisle teased her. "Besides I think our son might just figure this out on his own without your meddling."

"What are you talking about?"

"Edward was visiting her today. He was taking care of her, much of the way I took care of you all those years ago. Besides, it is going to be awhile before she is ready to date. Just give them time, and if then if they haven't figured it out, you can give them some guiding advise Love."

Esme sighed, putting her glass in the dishwasher. "Fine, I'll leave Edward and Bella alone. But I am fully planning on introducing Alice and Jasper at next week's dinner. Oh, and if Bella's house isn't wheelchair appropriate, I'm letting you know if she needs a place to stay, she is more than welcome here."

Carlisle shook his head and grabbed her hand, leading the love of his life up the stairs.

**AN: I hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a line . . . reviews rock my socks. **


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